


buttercream ain't got nothing on you

by crimsongravedigger



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2018-04-13 21:53:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4538787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsongravedigger/pseuds/crimsongravedigger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luhan creates beautiful things with his hands. So does Sehun. When they work together, true magic happens. Where there are tears, thorns and icing sugar, there's bound to be love too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	buttercream ain't got nothing on you

**Author's Note:**

> This is my fourth hunhan fan fiction. Wow. I wrote it in two days so sorry if it's trash. Please leave a comment! @dilan I hope you like it!

Sehun sees him everyday through the window's thick glass. He watches him as his stained fingertips arrange colorful and exotic flowers in a wooden vase, occasionally tearing apart dry and damaged petals. He watches him as he tries to reach that one box of decorations because the perfect ribbon for his last creation happens to be in there, fingers barely brushing the shelf and sighs of defeat escaping from his lips. He watches him as he talks with his colleagues and customers, quickly writing down details about their order with his bangs covering his eyes. He watches him as he laughs loudly at what must have been a corny joke, and when Sehun is about to take out his cellphone to take a picture, Kyungsoo yells at him to get his bony ass up and start working on their last wedding cake, because the icing doesn't really make itself and it's already noon. Sehun peels his eyes off the florist's oh so sweet traits and grabs a piece of white fondant from the block. He starts molding small roses, since Jongdae had patted his shoulder and told him that he'd take care of the icing. It's better that way.

The truth is that Sehun is extremely good with his hands but not so much with machines. He can create masterpieces with just a few things in a short amount of time, and customers always fall in love with whatever his skilled hands give birth to. He adores decorating wedding cakes, sprinkling silver glitter that looks like stardust on top of them, making little tufts of silky whipped cream with a pastry bag on the edges, writing letters with a smooth movement of his hand and finishing everything by adding a touch of color here and there. He's also good at making pretty much everything else, from peppermint cookies to the crunchiest almond brittle in the whole world, from the classic Saint-Honoré cake to spicy chocolate truffles, from fruity tarts to pastel-colored meringue. The last time he used the electric whisk, though, custard reached the ceiling and then fell on top of Kyungsoo's pure white chef's hat. Later, when he went home, Sehun found some custard underneath his t-shirt too. The morning after he had to whisk egg whites but Jongdae pointed at a piece of paper saying ' _no electric whisk for Oh Sehun_ ', so he suffered from hand cramps all day because the old whisk was so hard to use. Sehun still tries to forget the awful moment when he seriously thought about cutting his own hand off to make the pain go away.

Sehun dips the tiny tip of his brush into a cup of water to attach the petals to the stem and his eyes wander quickly towards the window. Flower boy is there as always, with dirt smudged on his left cheek and a flower wreath in his hands. Sehun looks at him and the boy casually lifts his head, eyes meeting Sehun's gaze and lips slightly opening in awe. Time seems to stop for a second because _fuck he's been caught_ and then the other smiles, waving lightly like it wasn't a big deal. After spending half an hour just staring at nothing, Sehun waves back and waves at his own reflection since his flower boy has already disappeared somewhere behind enormous plants and hordes of sunflowers.

Several ages later, after Jongdae had stopped rolling on the ground laughing covered in flour and after Sehun had made approximately hundreds of smooth white roses, the cake is finally finished. Kyungsoo had also written a note to himself: pay them half their salary and buy a pair of thick curtains.

 

Luhan sees him everyday through the window's thick glass as well. He watches him as he ties a white apron around his thin waist, checking the orders on the notice board with sleepy eyes and messy hair. He watches him as he hums happily surrounded by towers of sponge-cake, cutting them into shape. He watches his pale hands kneading the dough, pressing and twisting and rolling until it's soft and completely round. He watches him and sighs deeply, lowering his head and trying to focus on his work. He still needs to prepare three bouquets for three different weddings and he's not even sure Baekhyun has finished cutting the leaves that he needs. Luhan reads the orders for the tenth time in the past two minutes and runs a hand through his hair. Jongin gently taps his shoulder and hands him a cup of steaming espresso, glancing at that same window for a few seconds before quickly walking away with a shy smile. Luhan furrows his eyebrows and follows Jongin's gaze, seeing a short guy wearing a chef's hat as tall as a skyscraper; his dark circles make a strong contrast against his pale skin and to be honest he doesn't seem in a good mood. He's stirring something in a pot and Luhan can't help but imagine him as a wizard. He's about to tell Baekhyun to hurry up with those leaves when he hears the doorbell ringing loudly in the shop.

Customers aren't always easy to satisfy. Luhan knows it better that anybody else in this world; he writes down another custom order and bows politely at the couple, wishing them a good day. When he comes back into the laboratory, a sweet smell of freshly baked croissants lingers in the air and he has to wipe some drool away from his chin. His coffee has gotten cold, Baekhyun is nowhere to be seen and Luhan is so hungry that he could swallow a whole bonsai. He quickly grabs his wallet and takes out a couple of bills, thinking about buying something at the pastry shop where the wizard works. Automatically his eyes travel towards the glass and he sees _him_ , with flour on his nose, washing the table with a sponge. Embarrassed, he asks Jongin to go buy him a sandwich at the mini market instead.

Luhan gets back to work and chooses some flowers for the bouquets, occasionally stealing glances towards his little crush. When he gets caught -and it's not even the first time-, though, he raises a hand and waves, feeling his smile widen when the other waves back from the pastry shop window. The cute boy usually just stares back before Luhan runs away from the window super embarrassed, so getting a little wave in return is good. It's not much, but it's enough for today.

 

- 

 

Sehun realizes he's in deep shit when he checks the calendar and it's already february 10th. He blinks and pinches himself and when february doesn't transform itself into june magically, horror starts to turn his bones into liquid. He can barely contain his anxiety when on the evening of the 13th Kyungsoo doesn't feel well and Jongdae has to take him to the hospital, leaving Sehun all alone before the big day.

It's eight o'clock and the pastry shop is closed to the public but the light in the laboratory is still on. Sehun puts on some music on the stereo, hoping it relaxes him a bit; he arranges tons of trays everywhere and puts massive chocolate blocks on the stove to melt. As he minces the spices to put into the chocolate, the light in the flower shop switches on and Sehun wonders why they're still open at that hour. He sees his flower boy carrying red roses and golden ribbons, glitter wapping paper and delicate white flowers; he starts wrapping single roses and Sehun understands that Valentine's Day will be hard for him too, but somehow his company makes everything less dramatic. Flower boy opens the window and Sehun does the same. They wave at each other but nothing more that that; work is work and feelings can wait.

The clock hits eleven o'clock and sleep starts to kick in, but the cookies are still in the oven and the bouquets aren't finished yet. Sehun rubs his eyes and wanders around to find the coffee maker Kyungsoo bought recently to fight sleepiness in the morning and tiredness in the evenings. He finds it in a cabinet and in five minutes a mug of hot coffee is already on the marble table next to a pie. He glances over the window and flower boy is this far from collapsing somewhere, so he sticks his head out the window to catch his attention.

 

"I made coffee, you want some?"

 

And that's pretty much everything it takes to make Luhan knock on the shop's door, thanking Sehun until they are both sitting on stools, drinking coffee silently. 

Sehun finds out that Luhan is obsessed with coffee right after he gulps down the fifth cup. His fingertips are stained with red and there's still some dirt on his cheeks, but Sehun thinks he has never seen a creature more beautiful than the one in front of him. 

 

"Do you need a band-aid for those?"

 

Luhan shakes his head and stands up.

 

"It's ok, I'm used to thorns. Thank you for the coffee by the way." 

 

Sehun shakes his head and mentally thanks his boss for that coffee maker. Luhan sticks a hand into the pocket of his green apron and takes out a bunch of pretty violet petals, placing them somewhere on the marble table. He says he really doesn't need them anymore and hopes Sehun will find them useful somehow, and Sehun nods with a smile, already thinking about baking some blueberry and violet muffins for tomorrow.

The night goes on smoothly. Everything is ready for Valentine's Day: cookies and chocolates are sealed in heart-shaped boxes, cakes are in the fridge and each rose is wrapped nicely with a golden bow. If Sehun thinks about giving chocolates to Luhan, well, he doesn't. He shakes his head and switches the light off. If Luhan wonders about giving a rose to Sehun, well, he doesn't either and closes the flower shop with ' _there's always next year_ ' stuck in his mind.

 

-

 

Valentine's Day is a total mess and people don't stop coming and Jongin can't tear away his eyes from the window. When it's dark outside and there's no one left on the streets, Jongin mumbles something about going somewhere to confess something to someone and grabs a red rose from the counter. Baekhyun watches everything quietly and when his friend comes back, they both stare at the window to see Kyungsoo literally destroying the flower so its petals can become the decoration of a wedding cake. 

 

"He's feeding your love to his clients!" Baekhyun screams, shaking him by the shoulders. Jongin just sighs and little hearts appear in his eyes. Baekhyun stops molesting him when a gentle ' _he's so cut_ e' escapes from the younger boy's lips. 

 

"Luhan, I think we lost Jongin."

 

Luhan is about to say something when Bakehyun interrupts him right away.

 

"Wait, did you know that they started making muffins using our violets?"

 

And maybe, when Luhan goes home with a smile as bright as the sun and flaming cheeks, Baekhyun realizes that Jongin isn't the only one that is in love with someone.

 

-

 

Half of the world's population likes to get married in spring. The weather is not too hot nor too cold, the most beautiful flowers start to blossom, days get longer and everything seems prettier somehow. 

Weddings equal wedding cakes, and wedding cakes equal extra-work for Sehun. He's spreading some Chantilly cream on a layer of sponge-cake when Kyungsoo places a rigid piece of paper next to his spatula. 

 

"Mr. Park's wedding is this Sunday, and since you made his wedding cake I think it's right for you to go instead of me."

 

Sehun cleans his fingers on his white apron and quickly reads the address and the time on the silky blue card. Kyungsoo pats his shoulder and something doesn't really seem alright, but Sehun accepts anyway. He put a lot of effort in that cake and for that occasion he got to use the airbrush for the first time, creating elegant shades of indigo. He still remembers Park Chanyeol's face when he first saw that cake; his eyes literally sparkled and he seemed genuinely happy about the result. Maybe going to the wedding could be fun. Plus, you know, free food. Free food always adds bonus points. 

 

"Why can't you go to the wedding?" Jongdae asks later, when Sehun is busy serving a customer. 

 

"Someone told me that a certain Luhan will be attending the event as well, since he made the flower decorations." Kyungsoo explains while checking the remaining cupcakes in the oven. 

 

"So, you and Jongin, eh?" Jondae smirks and the only reply he gets from a very-red-Kyungsoo is an oven glove thrown directly at his face.

 

-

 

It's Sunday morning and Sehun is sitting on the very last bench in the back of the church, occasionally checking his phone so he doesn't seem too out of place. He's stiff and nervous and kinda bored and for a second he doesn't notice that someone actually decided to sit next to him. His eyes are fixed on the pink flowers wrapped around the edges of the bench, creating a nice contrast with the dark wood. He reaches for a petal and runs his thumb over it, feeling the classic velvet-y sensation that he adores. That reminds him so much of-

 

"You like my flowers?"

 

-Luhan. Sehun turns his head so fast towards that voice that his neck almost breaks. It would have been a nice death anyway, since Luhan is right there, wearing a navy blue suit and a white bowtie. His hair is pushed back and wow, his forehead is cute. Like, really cute.

 

"They are wonderful" _like you._

 

 _"_ Thanks. I bet you made the cake, am I right? _"_ Luhan chirps and Sehun nods, trying not to choke because his throat is as as dry as the desert. 

 

"Can't wait to see it!" 

 

The bridal march interrupts their small chat and Sehun tries to focus on something else than the little distance between him and his crush. He completely loses it when Luhan presses his lips lightly on his ear, asking for a tissue because _oh, weddings always make me cry._

 

The mass is painfully long but eventually ends with clapping hands and shouts. Everybody stands up as Chanyeol runs hand in hand with his bride, waving his fist in the air as a sign of victory. Luhan dries his wet cheeks with the tissues and then taps Sehun's forearm.

 

"Let's stick together, I don't know anybody here" and Sehun nods again, more confident now, starting to walk towards the exit of the church. They basically stick together almost literally, even when it's time to have lunch. The buffet is enormous and luxurious: there's seafood, meat, fruit, desserts, cheese, pasta and, more importantly, alcohol. Sehun tastes a bit of everything, occasionally saying ' _shit this is so good'_ and Luhan replying ' _here have some more_ '. They find a couple of chairs near the lake and decide to take a break from the chaos near the stands.

 

"I'm so full" Luhan moans, pressing a hand over his stomach. Sehun laughs and he doesn't feel as awkward as before. 

 

"You ate, like, seventy-four spring rolls."

 

"You counted them?! I though we were friends!" Luhan's shocked expression is something unique. Sehun laughs some more even though even his own stomach is about to explode.

 

"They remind me of home!" Luhan playfully scolds him, and when he sees guilt spreading inside Sehun's eyes, he gets up and claps his hands.

 

"Hey, I want to see your cake. I bet it's cool" and holy shit, it is. It's massive and blue. There's glitter silver on the edges that looks like stardust, elegant fondant roses and white bows. There are five layers of pure magic and Luhan's jaw hits the ground. Sehun smirks proudly and crosses his arms, admiring his own work. 

 

"I want my wedding cake to look exactly like this" Luhan says as he takes some pics of that masterpiece. Sehun would like to reply that he'd bake hundreds of cakes like that for him, but the idea of seeing him at the altar with someone else makes his stomach churn. 

 

It's time for the newlyweds to have their first dance and it happens under a gazebo entirely covered in flowers and plants. The shades of pink and red matches the details on the bride's dress and the groom's tie. Some roses are covered in glitter, making them shine like gemstones under the sunlight. It's something almost surreal.

 

"Well I want my gazebo to look like that when I get married" Sehun whispers as the music starts to fill the silence. Luhan hums and gently sways along the rhythm of ' _Thinking Out Loud_ ' by Ed Sheeran. 

 

Time flies and the wedding is almost over. The bride turns around and throws the bouquet somewhere, not even bothering to gather all the single ladies invited. Sehun's eyes get as big as the moon when the shining bouquet Luhan made falls practically into its maker's hands. Luhan laughs until there's the hint of tears in the corner of his almond eyes and people cheer like there's no tomorrow. The florist gives the bouquet to a girl nearby and Sehun pats his back. 

 

They say each other goodbye with a wave and a simple ' _see you at work_ '. 

 

-

 

Monday is not as busy as the weekend, so Sehun and Kyungsoo spend the whole morning cleaning the laboratory while Jongdae entertains the customers. Kyungsoo asks about the wedding and Sehun smiles, tellings bits of what happened. Sometimes he mentions Luhan (and the seventy-four spring rolls he ate) and how he fell in love with the indigo cake. Sehun goes on blabbering until there's another invite pressed on his forehead.

 

"There's another wedding this Sunday. Kim's. Bake the cake and go have some fun, alright?" his boss wipes his hands in a cloth and joins Jongdae. Sehun sticks the invite on the notice board with a pin and starts thinking about the design for the cake. He can't wait for the weekend to come. 

 

It's four in the afternoon when Sehun opens the window and invites Luhan for some coffee at the coffee shop nearby. They sit at a table and Sehun places his sketchbook next to Luhan's. 

 

"Are we going to the same wedding? Twice?" Sehun asks, tapping his pencil on the paper. He takes a sip of his cappuccino and adds some more sugar. 

 

"I can't go to that wedding."

 

"Why?" Sehun suddenly coughs and for a second he almost spits half of his cappuccino on his friend's serious face. On his sketchbook there are designs of floral decorations, bouquets, palettes of colors, everything he needs, and Sehun can't stop staring at them. 

 

"If you're not going, why are you planning all those things?"

 

"The groom was a friend of mine and he personally asked for my creations, but I can't attend his wedding. It would be…awkward, I think. For both of us." Luhan drinks his espresso and underlines a few things here and there, avoiding Sehun's piercing gaze. 

 

"You can stick with me, you know. Like last time. We had fun, right?" maybe Sehun is pushing too hard, maybe it's because it's Monday, but when Luhan lifts his pretty face, the baker only sees hurt. 

 

"Yeah. I'll think about it." and Sehun knows it's just a sugar-coated no. 

 

Nothings special happens for the rest of the week. They work and work and work until it's Friday and Kyungsoo offers to pay for a drink at the club. While Jongdae begs for permission to bring Baekhyun along (are they a thing? when did it happen?), Sehun declines, explaining that he's just too tired to function. 

He goes home and keeps adding details on Mr. Kim's wedding cake, but the idea of going alone is as horrible as the design itself. He throws the sketchbook across the bedroom and turns the lights off. 

 

On Saturday morning he's already working on the beige fondant when someone knocks on the shop's door. Sehun drops the tools and he's about to tell the customer that they don't open until ten but shuts up when Luhan appears in from of him, carrying a plastic bag and the weight of his sorrows on his shoulders. 

 

"Is it alright if I pick you up at nine tomorrow morning?" 

 

"Only if you help me with the wedding cake." 

 

And that's how they spend the whole morning and afternoon, chatting and laughing and getting food coloring all over their aprons. Luhan steals a couple of light pink orchids from his shop and arranges them on top; Sehun sprinkles white sugar pearls everywhere and when he turns around to ask for Luhan's opinion, the florist playfully dirts his nose with whipped cream. They both burst into laughter and Sehun blows a handful of icing sugar at the other's face, making him squeeze his doe eyes. 

 

"I'm glad you're coming tomorrow." Sehun admits when everything is quieter. He cleans the tip of his nose and watches Luhan as he nods, a gentle smile painted on his lips. 

 

"Come on, let's clean this mess up and go home. I still need to iron my suit."

 

Much later, when Sehun is wandering around his room with his phone aggressively pressed against his ear, panic seems unbearable. He asks everybody for a spare suit because he totally forgot to wash his own and it's already midnight and he's totally screwed. His dad, an angel living on earth, lends him his most beautiful suit and his mother, a woman with the hands of a god, adjusts the sleeves and cuts and fixes pretty much everything that needs to be fixed. Sehun is nervous and the most terrifying part is that it's not even his own wedding. 

 

- 

 

It's Sunday morning and it's raining. Luhan's suit is as grey as his soul and Sehun tries to ignore his red-rimmed eyes, but it's hard to do so when your crush is so tired that even smiling is hard. Sehun unfastens his seatbelt and Luhan does the same, but he doesn't get out of the car. The florist stays there, eyes fixed on the invite and heart pounding in his throat. Sehun squeezes his friend's knee and even though it's not much, Luhan nods and they both step inside the church.

When Minseok and his bride kiss, Sehun silently watches Luhan cry and he knows those tears aren't the same tears he cried at the last wedding they attended.

Lunch is alright, people are nice, the flowers are safe and sound, the music echoes in the ballroom, the cake is wonderful as always and Luhan avoids Minseok like the plague.

When the newlyweds are dancing surrounded by relatives and friends, Sehun grabs Luhan's hand and drags him on the dance floor as well, wrapping his strong arms around the petite boy's waist. He instantly smiles at the feeling of Luhan's arms tightening around his neck, forehead resting on his shoulder and fingers caressing Sehun's nape. They dance like that for a while, or at least until the music becomes upbeat and the dj starts shouting random things just for the sake of it.

 

Luhan keeps avoiding Minseok and Sehun is fine with that. They chat and drink wine until the sun has completely disappeared. 

 

"Wanna stay at my place for a while? We can have some coffee."

 

Sehun nods and Luhan almost drags him towards the parking lot of the restaurant, car key in hand and hair half-soaked because of the heavy rain.

 

Luhan's apartment is really small but cute. The walls are light blue, there are pictures of people everywhere, the kitchen smells like coffee and sketches of flowers decorations are displayed on the dining table. They drink a mug of steamy hot espresso on the couch, side by side, just enjoying each other's warmth like old friends would do. Eventually they start talking about the wedding ceremony, the food, the venue, the decorations and the bride's dress. Luhan's façade crumbles when he mentions Minseok's personal taste. He spent two years of his life next to him, so it's pretty obvious that no one knows Minseok better than Luhan. Burning tears wet his cheeks and Sehun wipes them away with his thumbs, whispering comforting words and caressing his back with circular motions. The florist ends up turning into a crying mess and Sehun holds him close, closer than anybody else he has ever held in his life. 

 

"It's ok" he says. He repeats it until his friend has calmed down (it takes a while). 

 

Rain doesn't stop pouring and thunders echo in the skies. Luhan refuses to drive Sehun back home and instead he lends him a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. They spend the night watching 27 Dresses and eventually fall asleep with tangled limbs and mixed breaths, tv still turned on and coffee mugs completely forgotten somewhere else.

 

-

 

Their relationship goes on like this for five months. Sehun would attend weddings on Sunday mornings next to Luhan, who would always ask him to stay for the night to watch cheesy movies or order chinese take-away. They would sometimes share Luhan's bed, checking Facebook on their phones and listening to 90's hits just because nostalgia is something that everybody needs once in a while. They'd discuss work, Luhan complaining about the infinity of thorns stuck in his fingertips and Sehun complaining about Jongdae's obsession with Baekhyun. 

 

"Yesterday Kyungsoo asked me if we are dating." Sehun says carelessly, scrolling down his Facebook profile.

 

"Are we?" Luhan asks, putting down his last purchase: " _Understanding Orchids: An Uncomplicated Guide to Growing the World’s Most Exotic Plants"._

 

"Aren't we?" Sehun peels his eyes off the screen and Luhan just laughs. 

 

-

 

They become official a week later. It's Sunday morning and Sehun can't tie his bowtie properly because _who the hell cares i am the baker not the groom_ so Luhan slaps his hands away and ties it for him, fingers barely touching the white collar of the shirt and eyes focused on the knot. He keeps adjusting it until a pair of hands grabs his wrists and sweet lips brush against his own in a tender kiss. 

 

"Are we dating yet?" Sehun's hot breath tickles Luhan's neck.

 

"Aren't we already?" Luhan replies receiving another kiss to, you know, confirm it. Like it was necessary to confirm the obvious.

 

-

 

Luhan always cries at weddings. He can't help it. He cried when Jongdae was standing at the altar and Baekhyun almost tripped on his own feet while walking down the aisle, risking to crack his head open on the ground. He also cried when Jongin said " _I love you more than chicken_ " to Kyungsoo with eyes filled with love, receiving a very weird look from the priest. It didn't really matter because Kyungsoo replied with " _You're the person I tolerate the most_ " and the priest just kinda gave up in the end. 

 

Luhan is crying right now too. He starts to feel the first teardrop rolling down his cheek when Sehun whispers ''I do," and he feels a hundred more joining that single one when he hears himself saying "I do" too. 

 


End file.
